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STUDY SHOWS QUALITY ULCER CARE IMPROVING IN NURSING HOMES
12 January 2000 - Boston University
| In a recent study released in the January issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Boston University School of Medicine and School of Public Health researchers, in conjunction with the Veteran's Health Administration, have shown a significant improvement in the prevention of pressure ulcers in nursing home patients. |
Study author Dan Berlowitz, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at BUSM and associate director of the VA Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research at the VA New England Health Care System, states that there are widespread concerns regarding the quality of care in nursing homes, and whether that care is improving. The development of a pressure ulcer may result from serious problems in the quality of care in nursing homes. "We examined a large provider of nursing home care, and looked at whether rates of pressure ulcer development had changed," said Berlowitz. According to the study, which was based on observations of 30,000 residents of over 100 nursing homes between 1991 and 1995, pressure ulcers declined by over 25 percent. In addition, the study also showed that total proportion of advanced late-stage ulcers declined by 25 percent. Berlowitz asserts that based on this large-scale study, nursing homes have shown significant improvement in the quality of their preventive care with regard to pressure ulcers. "A number of factors have probably contributed to the decline, and while we cannot say whether these nursing homes provide excellent or even acceptable overall care, we are encouraged by these improvements in care." Established in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine is a leading academic and research institution, with an enrollment of nearly 630 students and nearly 1,000 full and part-time faculty members. It is known for its programs in arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, human genetics, pulmonary disease and dermatology, among others. The School is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, its principal teaching hospital, and Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center. Along with Boston Medical Center and 14 community health center partners, the School of Medicine is a partner in Boston HealthNet, a consumer-driven urban health network.
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Boston University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in research in a wide range of disciplines and a demonstrated commitment to fostering innovative interdisciplinary research. The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education supports the University in facilitating research at the both the student and faculty levels.Our mission is to enhance and encourage research at Boston University and to provide a climate conducive to maintaining the University at the cutting edge of research and scholarly activities. We work with the Boston University community to plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research and represent the University in research matters related to Inter-University consortia. To encourage new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary efforts, this office administers the Special Program for Research Initiation Grants (SPRInG). We showcase graduate research at Science & Technology Day. This annual event features nearly 200 research posters by graduate students from both the Medical and Charles River Campuses working in a wide range of disciplines. Our annual research magazine, Research at Boston University, informs a wide audience about a selection of our significant research findings and ongoing studies at Boston University. We also maintain a strong presence on the web through this site and through the Science Coalition’s website, which brings our research successes to the attention of Congress and other policy makers in the federal government. To assist Boston University researchers, this office oversees the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and coordinates with the Office of Sponsored Programs on the Charles River Campus , the research administration on the Medical Campus, the Office of Research Compliance, and the various graduate programs. For the development of commercially viable ideas, we administer the Provost's Innovation Fund and work closely with the Office of Technology Transfer. We also coordinate proposals where there are institutional limits to the number of proposals that may be submitted, cost sharing requirements, significant laboratory renovations, or other special circumstances. This office assists departments and centers to achieve a diverse faculty and graduate student body through our membership and activities with the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and through our affiliation with the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation. |
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